A Dream Deferred
by Catalinabella
Summary: Sometimes sacrifices must be made for duty. But can those sacrifices truly be denied? Currently on hold.
1. Waking Up

"A Dream Deferred"

_What happens to a dream deferred?_

_Does it dry up  
like a raisin in the sun?  
Or fester like a sore--  
And then run?  
Does it stink like rotten meat?  
Or crust and sugar over--  
like a syrupy sweet?_

_Maybe it just sags  
like a heavy load._

_Or does it explode?_

Dawn had just broken over Crystal Tokyo, as the world was beginning to awaken. He sat up, rubbed the sleep out of his golden-brown eyes, and stared longingly at the woman beside him. Her long pink tresses that were normally neatly arranged in cone-shaped odangos were tumbled wildly across her pillow. The sunrise peeked in, giving her skin a godlike glow against the silk sheets. In his opinion, the princess of Crystal Tokyo had never looked lovelier. He fought the urge to take his sleeping maiden in his arms for fear of rousing her. Instead, he placed his feet on the glacial marble floor, gathered his clothes strewn at various places across the chamber, and donned them silently. Now garbed in the robes of the High Priest of Elysion, Helios quietly returned to his maiden's bedside. She rolled over and grabbed his pillow, but did not stir. Helios again resisted the desire to replace the pillow that Rini believed to be him. But if he woke her, Helios would have to look into those beautiful scarlet eyes begging him to stay. He knew he did not have the strength to oppose the power of those haunting eyes, not to mention the other tactics she would employ to keep him here. He hated leaving her, especially without saying farewell, but he had no choice. It took all of his willpower to leave her while she was asleep, if she were awake the pain would be too much to bear. So he kneeled beside the silk clad canopy bed and tenderly kissed her on the lips. "Goodbye, my dear Rini," Helios whispered in her ear. He took one last lingering gaze at the girl who meant more to him then all of the dreams he was sworn to protect, trying to burn the image of her sleeping like an angel into his memory. Then he tore his gaze away, made his way to her balcony, and returned to Elysion, amber eyes clouded over.

* * *

She woke up with her arms wrapped around a wrinkled pillow, still warm from being slept on. The head that had occupied it, however, was no longer there. She tried to blink back the tears welling up in her eyes, crushing the pillow to her chest as she inhaled what little was left of her lover.

Princess Lady Serenity looked around her bedroom, red eyes searching in vain for gold ones. He was always gone when she woke up, but Rini never stopped looking for him. Sometimes she wondered if their secret nights together were nothing more then dreams, his rumpled pillow was the only physical evidence of his being there. It was almost as if he was a ghost, and in many ways he was. Because of their respective duties as Crown Princess of Crystal Tokyo and High Priest of Elysion, Rini and Helios had almost no time to spend together. Their relationship had been reduced to these night visits that were sometimes months apart. They both kept saying it was only temporary, that things would get better soon and they could get married, or at least go out on an actual date. But Rini was going to be crowned Queen of Crystal Tokyo in two years, which would suck what little was left of her precious free time dry. She knew that once she became queen, or even before that, there would be a lot of pressure for her to marry. Already men were buzzing around her, trying to catch her eye, but she had been able to hold them off. Rumors were beginning to circulate about the princess as people wondered why she didn't show interest in any of her illustrious suitors. A princess and future queen needed a prince and king by her side, after all. "I already have my prince!" Rini felt like shouting at everyone.

But she didn't, not really. All she had was stolen moments in the dark and an empty bed in the morning. Rini let the tears that had accumulated in her eyes fall as she came to a realization. They both had glittering destinies to fulfill, but those destinies would keep them forever apart. Rini had dreamed of becoming Helios's wife and ruling together just as her parents had done for the past two millennia. Unfortunately, a dream was all it would ever seem to be. Rini couldn't imagine a marriage where she only saw her husband a few times a year as she did now. His duty would never change, he must always watch over the dreams of the world. He could not rule Elysion from Tokyo anymore then she could rule the earth from the land of dreams. She glanced at the vacant side of the bed again; a crater formed by his body was faintly visible. She wished that the crater was filled, in her bed and her heart.

**Disclaimer: **Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi. The poem at the beginning is "A Dream Deferred" by Langston Hughes.

**Author's Note:** I started writing this in AP chem this morning and couldn't seem to stop writing. I have some ideas for this story, but I'm not really sure where it will end up. I know this chapter is on the short side, it's setting things up for later. I promise the rest of the chapters won't be this brief. The poem embodies the theme, I want to explore what will happen if Helios and Rini put their duty ahead of their dreams. Please review and let me know what you think!


	2. The Prophecy

"Rini, pay attention!" Neo-Queen Serenity shook her daughter's shoulder gently.

"Huh? Oh, sorry Mama. What were you saying?" Rini focused on the petite blond woman sitting on the throne beside her.

"I was explaining the protocol of greeting ambassadors from other galaxies, but I don't believe you heard me. Is something on your mind? You seem so preoccupied these days," Neo-Queen Serenity asked, concern showing in her cerulean eyes.

"It's nothing Mama. I just didn't get enough sleep last night." That was certainly true, though Rini was often kept awake by Helios, even when he wasn't actually there.

"Well, that's enough for today. Why don't you go get some rest?" Serenity suggested. "After all, you need your beauty sleep for the ball next week."

Rini winced in recollection. A ball was the last thing she wanted to think about. She despised having to put up with arrogant princes. She always felt like she was putting on an act, because Helios could never come and everyone thought she was available, including her parents. She smiled wanly at her mother and left the throne room, her footsteps echoing on the high ceiling.

Once she heard her daughter's footfalls fading on the staircase, Queen Serenity rose as well. Rini had been removed and depressed for months now. She had always been a private person, but lately she hadn't shared anything personal with her family whatsoever. Serenity knew something was going on with her only child, but she couldn't for the life of her figure out what it was. She headed for the east side of the palace, determined to find the cause of her daughter's troubles.

* * *

The temple of the Crystal Palace was located in the east wing, because Priestess Rei preferred to pray with the sunrise. Serenity entered the temple silently, not wanting to disturb the priestess if she was praying. Sure enough, Serenity spied a familiar figure in front of the Sacred Fire, the wind of the flames blowing her waist length black hair off of her face. Knowing all too well the consequences of disturbing the fire maiden, Serenity sat on a low bench. Queen or no, Rei would not be above screaming at her about what a meatball head she was for disturbing her while she was meditating. Fortunately, a few moments later Rei rose from the fireside and noticed her queen's presence. "Good morning, Your Majesty. What brings you here?" the Senshi of Fire bowed.

"Rei, how many times must I tell you, my best friend doesn't need to call me by my title? Serenity is fine."

"As you wish, Serenity, now, what is the problem? I can tell something is troubling you." Knowing dark eyes met distressed blue ones.

"I'm worried about Rini. Have you noticed a change in her lately?"

"Yes, she has kept to herself more then usual these past months. It seems as if she is constantly waiting for something. I've tried to read her mind, but she has it locked up. I can't penetrate it."

"I'm convinced something major is going on with her. Is there anything you can do to find out what it is?" She looked at her friend pleadingly.

The raven haired woman rubbed her chin in thought. "I suppose I can do a fire reading to see if anything important is going to happen to her in the future that we don't know about." She glided back to the flame, took a drawstring patch from around her neck and poured some of its contents, a red powder, onto the fire. It burst to life, red and orange dancing with smoke. Rei knelt and folded her hands together. "I call on the power of the planet Mars. Please guide me in my quest. Reveal to me the future of the Princess!"

The fire swelled and glowed ferociously. The priestess, as if she was in a trance, said:

_A princess_ _must choose between her duty and her dream, her choice will either unite two worlds divided or destroy them both._

The fire died down as Rei came out of her trance. She glanced up at Serenity, whose cobalt eyes were wide with shock. "What was that?"

"A prophecy of some kind, about Rini. I'm afraid I can't tell you anymore about it, the fire only reveals so much. It has something to do with her future; perhaps Setsuna will be able to shed more light on it." Sailor Mars advised.

Serenity thanked her friend and departed for the Time Gates.

* * *

The Gates of Time were cold and deserted. Sailor Pluto had guarded them faithfully since the death of her father, Coronus, when Queen Selenity assigned the garnet eyed beauty the monumental task of forever holding a vigil over time and space. Serenity sometimes questioned her mother's decision; it did not seem fair that one person must sacrifice so much for duty. Pluto never complained, though, and the queen held her in too high esteem to pity her. As she approached the archway to the space time continuum, Serenity saw the long green hair of the Senshi of Time, her staff erect, in the same spot she had been at for countless millennia. "Good day, my queen. I've been expecting you," a knowing smile appeared on the time guardian's exquisite countenance.

"Is there anything you don't know, Setsuna? Sometimes I wonder why I'm ruling instead of you," Serenity threw her hands up in mock defeat.

"Because those who know all cannot lead, or the world would plunge into chaos. I am meant to be the world's witness, you its leader. Those are our destinies. But you did not come here to talk about that. You came to seek information about someone else's future, Small Lady's, if I'm not mistaken." Pluto murmured in a tone that conveyed she wasn't.

"So you know about the prophecy Mars made?"

"Yes, it was originally made at the end of the Silver Millennium, right before the Moon Kingdom was destroyed."

"So the two worlds the prophecy refers to are the Earth and the Moon?" Serenity's eyes widened.

"Perhaps, perhaps not."

"Oh, Setsuna, you know! Why won't you tell me?"

"You know the answer to that, my queen."

"I know, I know, it's dangerous to know too much about the future. Can you at least explain how this applies to Rini, if it was made thousands of years before she was born?" Serenity asked, perplexed.

"You're wondering why it didn't apply to you. That was my thought when I first heard it. Queen Selenity told me that your fate was to unite Earth; this premonition concerned another princess who was not yet in existence. This princess would have an even greater struggle then you, and a larger destiny to fulfill. Selenity said I would know whom the prophecy referred to when I met her. Rini is the one, Mars's reading confirms it. Since I already know what your next question will be I will answer it as best I can: Small Lady's future is uncertain. There is a disturbance in the fabric of time. The future of our world depends on Small Lady and the decisions she makes, as the prophecy states. We must all put our trust in her. That is all I can tell you, your Majesty. Have faith in the Princess." She bowed her head, kindly dismissing her ruler.

* * *

Serenity returned to the palace, still mulling over what Setsuna had told her. She couldn't have faith in her daughter if something was troubling her heart. She decided to pay a visit to Mina to see if she could determine the cause of Rini's anguish. Serenity entered the Love Senshi's office, which was a sort of monument to that emotion. The walls were covered with all sorts of paintings depicting it, from Klimt's "The Kiss" to the slightly less famous works of Sailor Neptune and her own daughter. She saw a beautiful blond woman behind a desk, piled high with cosmetics and hair products instead of papers. Mina had created the Sailor V Cosmetics Company, and her lines sold rather well. She squirted some perfume in the air that reminded Serenity of her husband's red roses. "I like it," she said as she moved to the desk.

"Serenity! What brings you here? Please don't say you need love advice, you and Endymion are half the reason my stuff sells!" Mina laughed.

"No, it's about Rini actually. She seems so down lately and I was wondering if it might be a matter of the heart."

"That's my specialty! Now that you mention it, Rini has been acting weird recently. I think her heart is conflicted somehow. She is in love, madly, deeply, passionately in love. But this love is causing her torment for some reason."

"In love? Rini? My little girl?" Serenity collapsed in a chair in disbelief.

"She is almost two thousand years old, Mom; it was bound to happen sometime." Mina patted her on the arm reassuringly.

"But, with who? And why is it making my little girl sad?" the queen demanded.

"I can't say. It could be for any number of reasons: it's unrequited, though I think that's unlikely, given the depth of her feelings; maybe he is doing something to cause her pain, girls can fall in love with jerks; or perhaps they can't be together for some reason. Knowing Rini and considering her position as Princess of Crystal Tokyo, I would guess it's the last one. As for who the lucky guy is, I don't know." Mina smiled apologetically.

"That's alright; at least we know what is bothering her now. Thanks for your help, Mina!" Serenity went in search of her husband to tell him of all she had learned.

* * *

The gardens of the Crystal Palace were world-renowned, especially for the rose garden the King of Earth was now strolling through. He bent down to smell a particularly magnificent looking red bloom when he felt a soft touch on his shoulder. It was a touch he would know anywhere, one that still made his skin tingle after all these years. Endymion glanced up to see his wife's striking blue orbs. He kissed the hand that had just blessed his shoulder, "For you, my love," he murmured as he placed the rose he had been admiring in it.

"It's lovely Endymion, thank you," Serenity smiled as her husband rose. The royal couple walked arm-in-arm as Serenity informed her husband of the prophecy Rei made, and what Setsuna had told her.

"Well, it looks like the fate of our planet is in the hands of our little girl. Do you think she can handle it, Mom?" Endymion joked.

"Actually, darling, that brings me to the last thing. Brace yourself, Dad: your daughter is, to quote Mina, madly, deeply, passionately in love." Serenity watched with glee as her spouse's expression changed from smugness to utter bewilderment. "It is why she has been acting so strange lately. Apparently, there is a problem that is causing Rini distress. Mina isn't sure what it is, though she has a few theories."

"Who is the jerk whose ass I need to kick?!" Endymion roared.

"Now, now, there is no need to get physical, dear. Remember who you are," his wife admonished gently,

"You are absolutely right, Serenity. I'm the king; I can just order him killed," he rubbed his hands together giddily.

Rini watched her parents pass below her balcony, engrossed in conversation. _And each other_, Rini thought. She had seen the look of awe on her father's face when he saw her mother. She saw him kiss her hand reverently, and then present her with what must have been her millionth red rose. From the pleasure on Serenity's face you'd think that was the first one she'd seen in her life. She observed as they sauntered leisurely through the flowers, not worried about having enough time together, because they were able to be together always. Rini brushed away a tear as she thought of when she saw Helios. They got so little time to be with each other that they were barley able to make love, much less talk about how their day was. There was so much desperation just to be together that they never got around to the little things. Like roses and garden strolls. Rini felt another tear slide down her cheek as she realized that she couldn't remember the last time they had laughed together. She looked down at her parents once more, so in love, so blissfully happy. Rini's hands gripping the railing became wet as she decided that while she was the former, she was most defiantly not the latter.

"Well, you can't because we don't know who he is."

"How can we find out?"

"I'm not sure; neither Rei nor Mina was able to tell me. If there was only some way we could access her mind and her soul at once," Serenity mused.

"What about her dreams. Surely if Rini is in love with someone she dreams about him."

"Endy, that is an absolutely brilliant idea!" Serenity wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him fervently.

"Remind me to come up with those more often," he grinned.

"Why don't you ask Helios if he has seen anything in Rini's dreams?" she asked.

"Alright, I'll go to Elysion right now!" he turned to go, but a small hand on his arm stopped him.

"Oh Endymion, if you find out anything in Elysion, you'll get a lot more then a kiss," Serenity coyly whispered in his ear, sending shivers down to his toes.

"Consider it done, my queen," the king saluted and left for the land of dreams.

**AN:** Ooh, I wonder how Helios will react...review if you want to find out!


	3. The Duty of a Queen

**Chapter 3 **

"**The Duty of a Queen"**

The sky of Elysion had no sun due to its location at the center of the earth, but it was still eternally blue thanks to the beautiful dreams of all the people on the planet. The blue-haired priest was at the shrine praying for all of those dreams, but his thoughts were otherwise engaged: by a certain maiden with rose colored hair and eyes. Helios wished he had more time to spend with his maiden, the long periods of separation he was forced to endure due to his obligations to Elysion were agony. He lived in an Eden, but everyday it was becoming more and more of a prison. He wondered if Rini felt the same way, he hoped she didn't. The last thing he wanted was to cause her pain. He was trying to get her out of his mind and refocus on his prayers when he heard a soft knock on the door. He whirled his head around to see a beautiful woman with long white hair standing in the doorframe.

"Priest Helios," the shrine maiden Hemera bowed. "I am sorry to disturb you during afternoon prayers, but King Endymion is here to see you."

"That is quite alright Hemera, I finished early today," Helios rose from the stone floor of the altar, dusting off his spotless ice blue robes. "Did the king give a reason for this unexpected visit?"

"He only said he had an urgent family matter that required your assistance. He is waiting outside."

"Thank you, Hemera. I'll go speak with him now." Helios exited the temple and saw his king standing among the perpetually blooming flowers found only in dreams. Helios knelt in the grass before his ruler. "You honor me with your presence, King Endymion. I was informed that you had an issue of some exigency to discuss with me."

"Yes Helios, I need to talk to you about my daughter."

"R-Rini?" Helios choked.

"She hasn't been herself lately; she's been secretive and miserable. Venus has a strong suspicion it is because she is in love with someone. I think you know who that someone is, Helios."

"Your Majesty, you see Rini, I, um, well," Helios felt his face grow hot.

"You do know then! You've seen this guy in her dreams. Do you know who he is, Helios?" Endymion's piercing eyes gazed at the dream guardian intently.

"What guy?" Helios asked, confused.

"The guy she is in love with! Tell me Helios, on your honor as High Priest of Elysion, have you seen an unfamiliar man in Princess Lady Serenity's dreams?"

"Well I- no my king, I have not," Helios said finally.

"Well if you see anyone or anything suspicious, let me know right away."

"Yes, your Majesty, you have my word. I will guard your daughter's dreams with my life." _I already do._ Helios watched as Endymion left. He felt guilty; he had just broken his most important vow: that to his king, even though he had not directly lied to him. He had withheld information from his monarch, and it left a rancid taste in his mouth. Helios knew he should feel much worse about disobeying the king, but he was much more worried about his maiden. His fears were being realized, their love was causing her grief.

* * *

Rini sat at her vanity and began her nightly ritual of taking down the intricate hairstyle that held her pastel locks in place and brushing it out. She had just begun undoing one rabbit-eared shaped bun when she felt a warm weight on her shoulder. She looked at the mirror to see the reflection of a handsome man with topaz eyes standing behind her chair. "Helios, what are you doing here?" She began to rise, only to feel the hand on her shoulder firm its grip.

"Don't get up, maiden." Helios wrapped his arms around her slim shoulders and kissed her neck. "I'll explain everything, Rini. I really shouldn't be away from Elysion two nights in a row, but I had to see you," he turned his attention to her half unraveled hair and began unwinding the second bun. "I had a special visitor this afternoon." He watched in fascination as her sheet of cotton candy hair cascaded to the floor in soft waves.

"Hmm really, who?" she leaned her head back, enthralled by the sensation of his hands massaging her scalp.

"Your father," Helios noticed the dreamy look leave her eyes as he reached over to grab a sliver-backed paddle brush. "Your parents are extremely concerned about you, maiden. The king said you have been distant and sad lately. Sailor Venus has attributed it to lovesickness and Endymion came to ask me if I have seen an unfamiliar lover in your dreams." Helios lifted hanks of her thick mane, delicately brushing out the tangles.

"Well, I'm sure _that_ was an interesting conversation. What did you say?"

"I was able to tell him that I haven't seen any unfamiliar men in your dreams, because the only one ever present is one I recognize." He finished his task, returning the brush to its spot on the table and running his fingers through the supple, gleaming strands.

He smiled, but Rini could see the look of torment behind it. She got up and walked over to him, twining her slender arms around his neck, while his large hands encased her narrow waist. "Helios, thank you, I know that was really difficult for you to do, but trust me it was the best thing. My parents definitely do not need to know about us right now, especially my dad. I bet you he is devising a plan to murder whoever my mystery lover is, or getting Haruka to do it, which would be much worse. Sailor Uranus shows no mercy!" She giggled, but the suffering in his eyes did not subside.

"Maiden, is our love making you unhappy?" Helios asked with a slight tremor in his normally steady voice.

"No, how could you say that? I hate the fact that I hardly ever see you, and that we have to keep our relationship a secret, but it's worth it when I do get to see you. Like right now." Rini stood on her tip toes (she just had to inherit _all_ her mother's genes!) and kissed her love ardently.

After a great internal struggle (where _had_ she learned to do that with her tongue?) Helios broke the kiss. "Rini, I have to go, I should not have come at all."

"Helios, stay. Please?" he could hear the longing in her voice as clearly as he could see the sorrow in her crimson eyes. Not to mention the fact that she was in the process of removing her robe, revealing a sheer white cotton nightgown that clung to all the right places.

"You're not playing fair, maiden." Helios countered, though he knew resistance was futile at this point.

"All's fair in love and war, Helios," she grinned and wrapped herself around his body again. Helios exercised the only option he had left: he picked her up and carried her to the king-sized bed in bittersweet surrender.

* * *

_Rini was in her white moon princess gown, standing among some sort of ruins. All she could see was broken columns scattered across the rocky terrain, no vegetation or other sign of life was apparent. "Hello. Is anybody here?" she called out, walking through the heaps of rubble, searching for someone, anyone._

"_Rini, over here," a melodic voice rang out among the emptiness. Rini followed the voice, coming to a clearing with a small iron circle engraved with a strange design on the ground. When she was directly before it, a golden sphere of light appeared above it. The light melted to reveal a foot tall figure of a gorgeous woman in a white silk strapless dress with long sliver hair arranged in a very familiar hairstyle. Rini sank to her knees in disbelief of what she was seeing._

_"Queen Selenity?!" she exclaimed in shock. "Is that really you?"_

_"Yes Rini, welcome to the Moon Kingdom." _

_"But, why have you brought me here?" she looked at the grandmother she had never met in astonishment._

_"I understand that you will take over as Queen of Crystal Tokyo soon. I wanted to have a talk with you, from a past queen to a future one. Do you think you are ready to be queen, Rini?" her blue eyes bore into Rini's red ones._

_Taken aback by the question, she stammered, "I-I don't know. I think so."_

_"Rini, you must understand that the most important thing about being a ruler is sacrifice. You must be prepared to give everything up for your kingdom and your people: your hopes, your dreams, and your life must all come second to your duty as queen."_

_"But, shouldn't a good queen be able to make everyone's hopes and dreams possible, including her own?" Rini was confused; her own mother had never talked about ruling this way._

_"Sometimes your dreams inhibit you from your responsibilities. Like how your dream of marrying Helios is jeopardizing the kingdom."_

_"How do you know about Helios?!"_

_"Rini, he is the High Priest of Elysion; you are the Princess of Crystal Tokyo. You each have separate duties and destinies to fulfill. Already Priest Helios has begun neglecting his task of guarding the world's dreams. It's more then him sneaking off to have assignations with you, you are keeping him from his work. Today he could not complete his prayers because he was worried about you. Imagine what will happen if this relationship continues: the dreams of your people are at risk. A queen's first job is to protect her people, not to destroy them!" She glared at Rini coldly._

_"But I love him! Surely, there must be someway we can be together without hurting anyone." Tears sprang to her eyes._

_"Will you two ever get to be together? Helios cannot leave his post and the separation is killing you. You aren't happy Rini, you are losing yourself. He can never be what you want him to be: your Prince Charming. You need someone who can rule beside you and give you an heir. It's not fair to yourself to continue this; you'll only end up getting hurt." Selenity gazed at her more sympathetically. _

_"It is true, I'm not happy with the way things are. But how can I stop loving him? How can I love someone else?" Rini sobbed._

_"You just have to let him go, Rini. It's the best thing: for you, him and most importantly, everyone else. Trust me Rini, it's the right thing and I'm sure you'll fall in love with someone else before you know it!" she gave Rini a wink, and in a flash of light, she was gone._

* * *

Helios again awoke with the dawn. However, this time there was no sleeping maiden beside him. Puzzled, Helios pulled on his pants and went to the balcony. Sure enough, Rini was standing there; looking straight out at the sunrise, the silk robe she had eagerly removed last night wrapped tightly around her, even though the morning was not chilly. Helios moved behind her, bringing her body to his bare chest. He might as well have been embracing a porcelain doll; instead of becoming pliant she remained rigid in his arms. "Maiden, what is the matter? You aren't yourself this morning, and you're never up this early," he murmured softly.

"You mean I'm never up to witness you skulking away!" she snapped, breaking free of his embrace and whirling around to face him.

"Maiden, you know I have to get back to Elysion as soon as possible. You look so peaceful lying there that I can never bear to wake you," Helios explained, surprised by her hostility.

"Bullshit! That is the poorest excuse for an excuse I've ever heard. You know full well it takes me all of five seconds to fall asleep!" her eyes grew bright with anger.

Knowing that she must be very upset if she was using profanity, Helios decided to tell her the truth. "Rini, the reason I leave before you wake up is because when it comes to you I'm utterly powerless, as last night is a testament of."

"Well, how do you think it feels to spend a few amazing moments with the man you love, only to wake up in the morning to an empty bed? I hate it Helios, and I'm sick of it."

"What are you saying, maiden?"

"I can't do this anymore. Mina is right; my love for you is making me depressed. I can't live my life waiting for a few moments, that's not a life it's an existence! I want what my parents have: true love _and_ true happiness. You can't give me that, Helios, and the sooner I accept that the better." Her rage depleted and she began to cry as she said the last sentence.

"Maiden, there is no truer love on this Earth then the love I have for you," Helios wiped the tears from under her eyes with his thumb.

"I know, I feel the same way, but let's face it, we will never be able to be together. I'm going to be queen soon, and you're the guardian of dreams. You've already been neglecting your work because of me, haven't you?" she looked at him but he would not meet her eyes. "We are being selfish, Helios. We are placing our dreams and desires above our obligations to everyone. We need to defer those dreams for our duty."

"Maiden, are you sure about this?" Helios' eyes locked with her tear-filled gaze.

Unable to speak, she nodded. While Helios returned to the bedroom to put on the rest of his clothes she went to the edge of the balcony, resting her elbows on the railing trying to refrain from weeping. He returned and gathered her in his arms, giving her one last kiss on the lips. "Goodbye maiden," Helios dropped to one knee, took her hand, and kissed it the same way he had done all those years ago, when she was a child and he was little more then a boy and he promised to come back to her. Helios could not help but feel that he was breaking that promise now. He released her hand and was gone. Rini brushed her hand against her cheek, the wetness telling her that hers were not the only tears that had been shed.

* * *

In another realm, a jet black-framed mirror revealed the scene on Princess Lady Serenity's balcony. A striking woman with knee length hair as dark as her namesake smiled in satisfaction as she witnessed the two lovers part. "The silly princess fell right into my delightful little trap! Now for part two of my sensational plan," she gestured to a figure in the shadows. "Epiales! You know what needs to be done."

The figure came forward, green eyes glinting malevolently, "Consider it done, Mother."

**Author's Note: **I know it has been a couple weeks, but I've had APs to study for. The good news is I have lots of free time at the moment, so I should be updating a lot the next couple weeks. Please review, praise and constructive criticism both really help my writing! Oh, in case you were wondering where I got the names, Hemera is the Greek goddess of the day, the name of the other shrine maiden is Eos, goddess of the dawn. They work with the god Helios. Epiales is the sprit of nightmares. You'll find out his mom's name soon!


	4. Bullfighter or Bull?

"Rini, move it up a little," a tall woman with vivacious green eyes indicated the white satin banner interlaced through the Doric columns circumnavigating the ballroom.

Rini climbed to the top of the ladder and scooted the fabric up a few inches on the smooth marble cylinder. "Is that good, Lita?"

Lita stepped back a few feet to see the full effect. "Yes, that's perfect," her mahogany ponytail bobbed energetically.

Rini carefully slid a safety pin into the filmy material to hold it in place. "That's everything, isn't it?" she climbed back down, disengaging her bangs from her sweaty forehead.

"I think so. Thanks for helping me Rini; I got done twice as quickly as I would have on my own!"

Rini smiled, glad that she was able to aid her friend with the decorations for the ball tomorrow, but her reasons for volunteering weren't purely selfless. "It helped me get my mind off things."

"Care to talk about it?" Lita asked, handing her a frosty mug of lemonade. "Here, I made some cookies," she gestured to a nearby table with a platter filled with enough cookies to feed all of Crystal Tokyo for a week, which meant that there were just enough to make a snack for Lady Serenity. Never one to turn down free food of any kind that wasn't a vegetable, Rini sat down and began piling a plate with snicker doodles.

"Lita, there are some left for the guests, right?" she joked.

"I'm going to start cooking for the party tomorrow. Now, what has been going on with you Rini? Everyone is really concerned about you. You can talk to me about anything; I won't tell your parents if you don't want me to."

"Well, let's just say I had to say goodbye to someone I really cared about."

"Why? Did this person do something to upset you?"

"No, nothing like that, we just can't see each other anymore, I really cannot say more then that," Rini looked down at her plate and began nibbling on an oatmeal raisin cookie nervously.

Discerning that the young woman would not confide anything else, Lita put her arm reassuringly around the princess. "It's okay, I understand. Look on the bright side, we are having a fabulous ball tomorrow night, and there will be a gaggle of cute guys tripping over themselves to dance with you; perhaps one of them will be able to cheer you up!" she grinned.

"Perhaps," Rini said half heartedly. _But I doubt it_.

* * *

The Crystal Ball, thrown every year in honor of the beginning of Crystal Tokyo, was considered to be the biggest social event of the year. Luminaries from all over the galaxy came to attend, including Princess Kakyuu and the Sailor Starlights. Queen Serenity always turned it into a reunion of sorts; it was a mix of rigid formality and easy familiarity, a time for friends to reminisce and an opportunity to impress ambassadors in the hope of forming treaties. Mostly it was a celebration of the utopia Earth had become thanks to Serenity reawakening the dormant planet with the Silver Crystal. Rini had adored it since she was a child; it was the first "grownup party" she had been permitted to go to. This year, however, the thought of pretending to be happy and carefree, yet polite and restrained, filled her with dread.

Rini knew that men would be swarming around her like angry hornets, vying for a dance with her. No, not her: Lady Serenity, Crown Princess of Crystal Tokyo. They would praise the exoticness of her red eyes, worship her alabaster form, write sonnets to her pink hair, and not mean a word of it. All they saw was the crown on her head and themselves ruling the earth. Helios conveyed more love with the utterance of a single word then any amount of superfluous flattery ever could: _maiden_. Not Your Highness, not Princess, just maiden. To him, she was the girl who let Pegasus live in her beautiful dreams, the child who pestered him with questions about love and friendship, and the maiden who helped save all the dreams of the earth. That she was a princess was secondary, in fact, things would be a whole lot easier if she wasn't. If only she wasn't princess of the planet, and he wasn't the guardian of dreams, and they did not have any responsibilities. They could live in a house and raise a family, maybe have a little girl with strawberry hair and golden eyes and "This is so not helping!" Rini turned the faucet of her bathroom sink, splashing some water on her face, willing the icy liquid to wash him from her thoughts. Drying her visage with a towel, Rini spied black and pink smears on the supposed to be pristine white hand towel. "Oh crap, I forgot about my makeup!" She looked at her ruined reflection and banged her head against the glass.

Half an hour later Lady Serenity emerged from her apartments, makeup retouched and hair in place. She was just closing the ornately carved wooden double doors behind her when a soft female voice called, "Rini, there you are! I was just about to come in to find out what was keeping you," the woman hugged Rini tightly, fine black hair swept up in a bun at the back of her head, with a few pieces framing her violet eyes in ringlets.

"Good evening, Hotaru," Rini's eyes lit up at the sight of her best friend. "I had a slight case of temporary insanity and had to reapply my face."

"Well let's go, everyone is waiting to see their princess," Hotaru gently tugged Rini's upper arm, leading her down the corridor.

"By 'everyone', do you mean spoiled, over-coifed, over privileged, simpering, and whiny princes?" Rini smiled wryly.

"Oh Rini, their not all that bad," but Hotaru covered her mouth to suppress a giggle in spite of herself. "A few of them are well…" she trailed of, a blush coloring her pale cheeks.

"Hot? Sexy? Gorgeous? Bootylicious?" Rini grinned as her companion became a shade redder with each successive question. "Don't worry Hotaru; you can have your pick."

"Oh I highly doubt that," the Senshi of Silence raised a knowing eyebrow, quickly recovered from her friend's teasing. "They'll all be to busy looking at you, princess." The laughter of both girls rang through out the palace for the duration of their short journey to the ballroom.

* * *

As she was about to make her entrance, Rini stopped at the top of the staircase to take everything in. While she thought she and Lita had done a good job with the decorations, Rini was astounded at how magnificent the room looked. The satin banner she had painstakingly strung through the columns supporting the round chamber had taken on an almost dreamy quality thanks to the candlelight reflecting off it. Lita had added strings of roses to the columns to give color to the whiteness of the room. However, Rini soon regret her pause for it allowed all the guests an opportunity to stare at the princess. Instead of her usual white and gold dress that illustrated her status as the moon princess, Rini had decided to wear a black silk evening gown. It had an empire waist and sweetheart neckline with straps that wound around her neck and crisscrossed down her back. As predicted, a throng of young men had congregated at the base of the staircase waiting for her like a pack of dogs waiting for a slab of steak. Taking a deep breath, Lady Serenity placed her hand on the polished banister, preparing to greet the wolves while simultaneously cultivating an exit strategy. "Care for a waltz, princess?" Haruka appeared, parting the sea of suitors easily, taking Rini's outstretched hand and leading her out of the jungle of princes.

"Thanks a lot Haruka. I was torn between sliding down the railing and making a run for it; or using the candlestick to poll vault over them," Rini laughed while the tall blond woman in a tuxedo instead of a ball gown bowed to her as the first bars of a waltz vibrated through the air.

"You know I don't mind keeping those puppies off you. As a matter a fact, I consider it to be my favorite job," the wind sailor smirked, twirling Rini around the room expertly. "Men only want one thing, and there is no way they're getting it from my little rabbit."

"Oh, I don't think it's just men Haruka," a graceful woman in a sea foam dress that coordinated perfectly with her hair appeared before the unconventional dance partners as the last strains of music floated away.

"Really, and just what do you want, Michiru?" Haruka gave her longtime lover a knowing look.

"Why don't you tell me?" she said slyly.

"Why don't I show you?" Haukra's grey eyes glinted as the pair fell into their favorite pastime of exchanging double entendres.

"You two are getting as bad as my mom and dad!" Rini shook her finger playfully at them. "Thanks again for the help Haruka." Rini left the couple to their banter, catching the eye of Queen Kakyuu who beckoned her over.

"Rini, how wonderful to see you again!" Kakyuu embraced her.

"It's nice to see you too Queen Kakyuu," the two women sat down.

"So I hear you are going to be a queen yourself in a little while."

"In two years. Queen Kakyuu, have you ever had to sacrifice something you truly loved for the sake of your kingdom?" Rini fiddled with the tablecloth, meshing it in her hands, not directly looking at the redhead.

"You mean have I had to give up my love for my people? Yes, princess, I have. My lover was killed by Galaxia during the war on our planet. I had to go on. I traveled to Earth in the hopes of being able to rebuild Kinmoku, even though I knew my love could never be a part of it. But Rini, being queen is not a prison sentence; you can still pursue your dreams. I lost my love, but when I returned to Kinmoku I found love again with Seiya. Does that help?"

"A little, do you still miss him?" Rini inquired, desperately hoping that she had all but forgotten about her fallen lover.

"Rini we never forget those who truly touch our souls, though we might sometimes wish it," Kakyuu grasped Rini's hand and gave it a light squeeze, then rose in search of her husband.

Rini was so immersed in her thoughts about her conversation with the fireball queen that she did not see the young man heading for her until, "Princess might I take the liberty of claiming your hand for the next dance?" a nasally voice broke her thoughts.

Rini looked up in agitation to see who it was and inwardly groaned. It was Prince Carleton of Habiota, a planet on the outskirts of the Milky Way. He was the epitome of pompousness and boredom, not to mention a terrible dancer. Rini would like nothing better then to stomp on his foot (he had certainly trampled on hers often enough), but her mother was trying to persuade Habiota to sign a trade agreement with Earth. Apparently the planet had a large surplus of crops, and there was a famine in Western Africa at the moment. So either I dance with him or little African kids starve, Rini thought bitterly as she stood up. "Of course Prince Carleton, it would be my pleasure," she smiled sweetly, giving her cool hand to his hot sweaty one. It was the Viennese waltz, and sure enough Rini's big toe was throbbing by the end of it. She tried to make her escape, but right when the dance had ended another one began and another prince had claimed her hand. Rini danced with dozens of men, some young, some old. Prince Andre of Spain was only eight and just too cute, while Prince Siegfried of the planet Cromicio was pushing 70 and refused to keep his hands on her waist. A few were rather good looking as Hotaru had said, and one or two were even mildly interesting, but not a single prince could make her forget about a certain priest. Rini finally excused herself, saying she needed to speak to her parents about something and made a beeline for the terrace. There was a trapdoor in the rose garden that covered a passage way which led to her room. She had discovered it when she was five while playing dolls. She had used it to escape the palace when the Black Moon attacked, but it would suit her purposes just as well now. She bent down by the largest rosebush and was about to pull the latch on the concealed door when a snap of a twig caused her to turn around.

"Doing a little midnight weeding, are we Lady Serenity?" a man Rini had never seen before came forward and taking her hand, lifted her to her feet.

"Do you always accost girls on their own at parties, or is this a special occasion?" Rini retorted before she thought about politeness, snatching back her hand. Something in this guy's tone just made her want to argue.

"Why, we can't let the princess of Crystal Tokyo go wandering in the night by herself, someone might bother her," the stranger said smugly.

"Quite true, I thought I'd be safe in my own garden, but evidently I was mistaken," she said sarcastically.

"Well I'm glad I was here to save you then," he smiled, not taking her bait.

"What? But that's not what I…" Rini flushed in frustration. "The only one who is going to need saving buster is you unless you tell me who you are and what you think you're doing!"

"Forgive me, princess, I seem to have forgotten my manners. Prince Janus of Cendall at your service," he bowed deeply.

"Well Prince Janus of Cendall, I think I've had enough of your services for one night," Rini stomped off into the ballroom. Spying a familiar black bun at the edge of the room, Rini made her way to Hotaru.

"Well, I see the escape didn't come off properly," Hotaru chuckled.

"I was interrupted by the most insufferable of men," Rini muttered.

"Ooh, do tell," Hotaru's purple eyes gleamed excitedly.

So Rini began to tell her tale. Hotaru was the only other person who knew about the secret passageway, so Rini was able to fill her in on everything. "And then he had the gall to act as if he was helping me! So I told him he was the one who would need help if he didn't say who he was and he made this ridiculous bow and said his name was Janus," Rini vented.

"Janus? As in the prince of Cendall?" Hotaru's eyes practically popped out of their sockets.

"Yeah, what of it?"

"Rini, he is considered to be one of the wealthiest most powerful men in the galaxy! Not much is known about Cendall, but supposedly it is a star and Janus's family rules the entire system of planets," Hotaru whispered in Rini's ear.

"Well no wonder he is such an arrogant asshole," Rini took a glance at the platform where her parents were sitting on their thrones and watched in horror as she saw them both laughing, laughing, with _him_. She stalked over there determined to expose the man for the jerk he really was.

"Ah Rini, I'm so glad you came over here. There is someone I want you to meet, Janus, may I present my daughter Princess Lady Serenity," King Endymion smiled.

"Thank you Your Majesty. I have already had the delight of meeting your charming daughter," Janus said silky, intense green eyes focusing on Rini.

"Wonderful! Why don't you two have a dance then?" Queen Serenity clapped her hands together.

"I would be honored to dance with the princess. My lady?" Janus extended his hand toward Rini.

Her parents beaming at her, Rini had no choice but to take it. She expected him to lead her straight to the center of the dance floor, but instead he stopped by the orchestra and whispered something to the conductor too softly for her to hear. "What was that about?" she looked at him skeptically.

"I thought this party could use some livening up," he said mischievously. Now they were in the middle of the ballroom and before Rini could ask what he meant by livening up the music began. Rini recognized it as "Amparito Roca", a famous Spanish pasodoble. Janus dipped her and they began the fast-paced dance.

"How dare you do that?" Rini spat at him as he spun her around.

"Do what, this?" he dipped her again.

"No," they separated now, preparing to charge one another. "Act like that with my parents!" They were so involved in their conversation and dance that neither noticed that they were the only couple dancing and everyone was watching them.

"I was merely making polite conversation. Besides, what would they say to your little gardening escapade?" he followed her around the room, both of them raising their arms and moving their hips as they mimicked a bullfight.

"Why you son of a-," Rini began, cranberry eyes locked with his emerald ones as they revolved around each other.

"Ah careful princess. You wouldn't want to say anything you'll regret later," he began leading her backwards towards the core of the room again.

"I can think of fifty things I want to say to you," she muttered with vehemence.

"Oh, you know fifty ways to say I'm the best thing that's ever happened to you? I'm impressed by your vocabulary princess," he quipped, spinning her with nimble movements of his arm.

Rini had never met someone who antagonized her so easily. "You know that's not what I mean!" he dipped her one last time as the music ended, and then raised her slowly until her face was merely inches from his, her leg still wrapped around his hips. She hadn't noticed until now how incredibly handsome he was, with thick black hair that half covered his startling green eyes and olive skin. She also had not realized how close they were, feeling both his hands on her bare back and his lips so close that if she just leaned in a little more…The guests ended their brief silence and broke out in wild applause, allowing Rini to come back to earth. Had she really been considering kissing that narcissist? She quickly extracted herself from his arms and turned to leave when she felt her hand being pulled back. She turned around to see Janus caressing it.

"Thank you for a most remarkable evening, Lady Serenity," he bowed again, bringing her fingers to his lips, letting them linger a moment longer then necessary. Before Rini could respond he melted into the river of partygoers and was gone.

"That was an interesting bullfight, was it not Michiru?" Haruka put her arm around her partner's waist.

Michiru put her aqua head on Haukra's broad shoulder. "It certainly was. But I wonder: who was the bullfighter and who was the bull?"

**Author's Note:** Pasodoble is both a style of music and dance, modeled after a Spanish bullfight. Janus was a Roman god who had two faces (also where January comes from, hey who said fan fiction couldn't be educational?). I have some news which you guys probably won't like. I am putting this story on hiatus for about two months or so. There are a few reasons for this. One, I am going to Governor's School this weekend and will be gone for five weeks. I'll be taking two college classes, so obviously I won't have time to write. I go back to school a week after that (I'm on year round, so my summer is really short). I'm going to be a senior next year and I want to apply to college early and just get it out of the way, so most of July will be spent writing my essays. The good news is that my college stuff should be done by August and then the rest of the year should be low drag for me (and I'll be able to write a lot!). Another reason is that I'm having trouble with the middle of this story. I have the end planned (you have no idea how incredibly excited I am about the ending, it's going to be awesome!) but I am not completely sure how to get there. I think some time away is the perfect remedy. There is a minuscule chance that chapter 5 with be posted before I leave,but don't bet on it. So fear not, I will return. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. As always, please review and feel free to message me with any extra comments or questions. I hope everyone has an amazing summer!

Catalinabella


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